EVENTS

Turkey Today

On September 24, 2018, Turkish Heritage Organization (THO) with co-partners Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), and the Sabah Columnists Club, hosted a panel discussion “Turkey Today”. The discussion served to examine recent events in Turkey and how they have affected it’s standing in the world.

The panel was moderated
by SETA DC’s Research Director and Daily Sabah Columnist, Kilic Bugra Kanat
and included the following speakers:

Saadet
Oruc- Chief Advisor to the
President of the Republic of Turkey, Daily Sabah Columnist

The panel discussion
provided an opportunity to attendees to hear analysis in key issues such as
Turkey's foreign policy, domestic politics and the economy. The experts touched
on the different topics of the new presidential system, the July 15 coup
attempt as well as the bilateral relationship between Turkey and the United
States during a Syrian refugee crisis and economic challenges.

Chief advisor to
President Erdogan, Saadet Oruc discussed Turkey's current humanitarian,
focusing on Turkey’s support for the Syrian refugees. Ms. Oruç said President
Erdoğan did not give up his efforts to prevent the humanitarian crisis in
Idlib, despite negative reactions shown at the Tehran summit. Supporting
Turkey’s humanitarian actions, Saadet Oruc noted that, “Civilians were brought
from Aleppo and Damascus to safe areas and rescued from the Assad regime's
massacres."

SETA’s Strategy Research Director, Hasan Basri Yalcin and Society Media Research Director, Ismail Caglar discussed the new presidential system and the counterterrorism efforts by Turkey.

Commenting on a question on Turkey's role and position in NATO, as well as strained relations with the U.S., Prof. Burhanettin Duran said that there is a new system of international relations in the world and that all forces are balancing their external relations in connection with this. Professor Duran also noted that it is important to remember the U.S. and NATO support for the YPG in Syria, which causes a crisis of confidence in the trust of the two nations.